Thursday, March 28, 2024

From CHS & The Coronado Times to Princeton & College Prep Counseling

By Andres de la Lama

Andres de la Lama

Even as a freshman in high school, I had it in mind that I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to tell profound, poignant stories that moved people and offered a different perspective on the people that surround us. So when I was given the opportunity to write for a real publication in the town I’ve grown up in since elementary school, I knew it would change the course of my life and career.

During the second semester of my freshman year, I was offered an internship on The Coronado Times staff writing team. I was in charge of writing the weekly Crime Blotter, keeping Coronado residents informed on the crime and arrests in the city. Additionally, I would cover weekly campus interest stories about the many happenings on the Coronado High School campus, such as reviewing CoSA productions, spotlights on teachers, or covering club events. Not only was I able to support my peers in their academic and extracurricular pursuits, but I also came to realize that Coronado is a special place because of the people that actively contribute to the community.

After a few months of being on the team, our publisher Steve Johnson offered me the opportunity to build my own column on high school sports. I jumped at this opportunity, knowing that it would give me even more experience as a writer and journalist.

So I shifted my focus from covering campus events to developing our new sports column. We covered all sports sponsored by the Islander Sports Foundation, as well as club sports like rugby. This project could not have been more enjoyable, as I was building my resume and reaching out to the community even further. I would like to thank all of the high school coaches for their continued support in this column. It would not have been possible without them.

I wrote for the Times all through high school and with the experience came many highlights. One of my favorite stories that I had the privilege of covering was the “Coronado Teachers March to School Board to Advocate for Change.” Controversial though it was, the topic made me realize the value of my education at Coronado and the value of our teachers’ work. I learned about the amount of time they put in off the clock to give their students the best learning experience possible. There are really no other teachers that compare to Coronado’s.

During my senior year of high school, the time came to start applying to colleges and universities. By this point, I had discovered that writing is my one true passion, and I set a career goal of becoming a screenwriter-director. With an excellent writing position on my resume, I was lucky enough to receive an acceptance letter from Princeton University. I can say without a doubt that my work at the Times not only prepared me for the rigor of Princeton but, in many ways, is the reason I got accepted. I was able to take on a full workload as a high school student, as well as learning to manage my time as a part-time writer.

I want to thank Steve Johnson and our managing editor Dani Schwartz for their support in this unique opportunity. I could not have asked for a better team to work with.

Now as a student at Princeton, I am pursuing other extracurricular endeavors in addition to my career ambition of becoming a screenwriter. I have decided to start my own tutoring and college counseling business called Pathways in College Success. In high school, I took on a rigorous and diverse course load, and I was able to get some experience tutoring students in math and science.

This past semester, I got the chance to advise several high school seniors and guide them through the college application process successfully. For more information, please feel free to contact me.



Managing Editor
Managing Editor
Originally from upstate New York, Dani Schwartz has lived in Coronado since 1996. She is happy to call Coronado home and to have raised her children here. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercising, trying new restaurants, and just walking her dog around the "island." Have news to share? Send tips or story ideas to: [email protected]

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